Frank richards



(No Model.)

F. RICHARDS. AIR COMPRESSOR.

Patented Ju'ne 28,1898.

Ninn

Errori.4

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 606,428, dated June 28, 189,8. Application filed July 3, 1896.1 `Serial No. 597,935. (No modali) To @ZZ whom, it may concern: Y

Beit known that I, FRANK RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, and a `resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements4 in Air-Compressors, of which the following is `a specification.

My invention has relation to that class of machines employed for compressing air to be used for power and other purposes and known as air-compressors.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine of the class named which shall be reliable and efficient in use and whereof the parts shall be durable, few, and simple. To accomplish all of this and to secure other and further advantages in the matters of construction, operation, and use, my improve-.

ments involve certain details of arrangement and construction of parts, as will beV herein first fully described, and then pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical View, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing myimproved air-compressor, but omitting one of the piston-rods and fragments of the pulleys for the driving-belt. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view showing also an horizontal section of one of the cylinders, omitting the crank-shaft and pulleys. Fig. is an outline view representing the cap-plate for the cylinders with the pillars formedV therewith. 'Y

In all the figures like letters of reference,

wherever they occur, indicate corresponding A is the foundation or base on which the machinery is assembled, and whenin use this is sustained on some suitable support, which affords free access of air to the under side.

v Itis of cast metal and contains two waterchambers a ce directly beneath its upper plate.

These are formed in the casting, suitable `ports or passage-ways, as l), being cored out at proper. points to communicate with the interior of the water-jackets surrounding the cylinders. Tubular'passage-ways, as c c cc and d d, are formed through the top and botinlet and outlet air-valves, said plates and 'tubes being preferably all cast integral.

B B are the c yl-inders within which the pistons, as C, move. The cylinders are cast with outside jackets D, forming with the walls of the inclosed cylinders Water-chambers extending the length of the cylinders, andthese chambers communicate through the ports l) with those in the foundation, as indicated. `The cylinders are rigidly secured upon the foundation, as by bolts passing up from below, and the joints made air-tight, so as to withstand the working pressure.

E is the crank-shaft, carrying, two pulleys F F, one loose and the other tight, and arranged to be driven in the ordinary way.

G G are cranks on the shaft for driving the pistons, with which they are connected by rods, as I-I.

`The crank-shaft is supported in boxes or bearings on pillars at four points. Heretofore these bearings have been` located in detachable pillars, requiring skill, labor, and expense to t or adjust them to` proper line. `To ob viate this, I cast three of the pillars I I 'I integral with the plate K, which forrns the top plate of4 the cylinders. The upper ends of the cylinders are accuratelyiinished, and the bearings at the tops of the three pillars are brought into accurate line, being easily and quickly and to best advantage finished together and at the. one operation;` This leavesonly the fourth pillarL to be adjusted when the machine is being set up for use. The union of pillars I with the cylindertop K is perfectlyrigid and secure, and the latter has only to be bolted to place, no especial packing being required for it. Y

In Fig. 1, c designates one of the air-outlet` valvesin section, and f f are the'airinlet valves, which latter may be of any suitable construction, though preferably .that described below, and need notbe connectedwithl each other, since their lower endsare open into and d raw air from within the base A. As

to the outlet-valves 4for the compressed air, v

however, there is preferably one for each cylinder, and it works againsta seat and within a valve-casing consisting of a short pipe N, passed upwardfrom below into the tube A in the base until the upper end of the pipe N ICO is Hush with the upper face of the top baseplate, at which time the lower end (about half) of the pipe N will project below the bottom base-plate, as seen. The pipe N preferably has laterally-projecting ears n at about the center of its length, adapted to be bolted or screwed against the under face of the bottom base-plate, as shown, and in its lower end is a thread. O is a guide comprising a head screwed in the said thread and a tubular body or stem P, within which works the stem Aof the valve, all as best seen in section at the left of Fig. l. The projecting lower ends of the two pipes N shown herein are connected by a pipe M, which also leads to a suitable receiver for the compressed air. It will be clear that by removing the bolts or screws through the'ears n both valve-casings N and their connecting pipe M can be removed through the open bottom of the base when desired, as for cleaning or repair, and this without removing the cylinders from the base or disarranging other connections in the mechanism.

The water-chambers d in the foundation are connected, as by a tube g, and the water-spaces around the cylinders are connected near the tops, asby a tube 7L, and water is intended to be admitted at bottom and allowed to circulate and ilow out at the top to prevent th e heating of the cylinders.

y Having now fully described myinvention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a plurality of upright cylinders, surrounding'water-jackets, pistons in the cylinders, and means for moving them; of a base having an open bottom and comprising aflat top plate and a second plate belowT the top plate so as to leave water-chambers between the plates, connections between the chambers and jackets for the purpose set forth, upright tubes eaclr integral withfthe plates and communicating with t-he bottom of the base and the interior of a cylinder, a valve-casin g and air-valve removably inserted in each tube from below, connections between spaced below the top plate so as to leave a chamber between the plates, two sets of upright tubes for each cylinder`integral with both plates and opening through them, a valvecasing consisting of a short pipe fitting each tube and having lateral ears between its ends bolted to the bottom plate, the upper end lof this pipe having a valve-seat while the other end is threaded, avalve therein, a guide for the valve-stem having a head engaging said threads, and a pipe connecting the cas ings of the outlet-valves at points below their ears, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an air-compressor, the combination with a plurality of upright cylinders having surrounding water-jackets open at their lower ends, pistons in the cylinders, means for moving them,`and a top plate closing the upper ends of the jackets; of a base comprising a fiat top plate having ports communicating with said jackets and a bottom plate spaced therefrom so as to leave a waterchamber below each cylinder, communications between these chambers, upright tubes integral with both plates and opening through them from within the cylinders to the space beneath the bottom plate, air-outlet-valve casings consisting of short pipes removably inserted for part of their length in said tubes, a valve-seat and valve in each casing, and a pipe connecting the protruding portions of the casing-pipes and leading to a suitable air-receiver, as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this lstday of July, A. D. 1896.

'FRANK RICHARDS.

lVitnesses W. J. MORGAN, WORTH OsGooD. 

